COVID-19 Collection

Browse this collection of user-submitted records documenting the Jewish community's experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Share your own story by submitting your items to the project. Click Here to Learn How

Eliyahu Hanavi horns, Pesach 2020!

The Annex, Toronto, Ontario

During the pandemic, two days after my son Arlo’s barmitzvah (via Zoom/screen), I started a band with my two kids (Shai 17 on Tuba, Arlo 13 on trumpet, I'm 44 on trombone) to cheer on frontliners and to cheer up the neighbourhood (plus ourselves). We were soon joined by two more horn players at a distance. Their other band? The Toronto Symphony Orchestra! And then another two. We call ourselves Horn on the Cob and the Social Distance and have played a newly arranged song from our front porch and yard every night at 7:30pm for 50 nights in a row (as of May 9, 2020). Nomi Rotbard, my spouse, introduces and videos each night’s song. This one was special: I arranged “Eliyahu Hanavi” for erev Pesach, April 8, 2020 - it was such a pleasure to share a Passover moment with our neighbourhood!

Street Photography by Eli Unger

Toronto, Ontario

Zoom Seder 2020: Reitman Family

Toronto, Ontario

On the day of the first night of Passover 2020, we attended our Uncle Allan’s Montreal funeral by Zoom. He had died of Covid19 alone in hospital. His wife, Auntie Dorothy, was home, suffering from the virus.

His three adult children and five grandchildren were unsure if they would attend our Zoom Seder that evening. We told them about the Jewish law about not mourning on holidays. They all attended.

We dedicated the Seders to the memory of Uncle Allan, placing his memorial candle on the table so that his soul, his presence, could be seen and felt among us all, and we read Rabbi Jarrod Grover’s (Beth Tikvah) Passover message: “In one sense, it's quite odd to take a candle which represents the soul of a loved one, and place it on a dining table. In another sense, however, Rabbi Sofer's compromise enhances and elevates the ritual. As our tables are illuminated with the brightness of missing souls, we remember that presence can be more than physical nearness.”

And in the spirit of Passover, which is so much a holiday of story telling, we invited everyone who wanted to, to tell a story about Uncle Allan. And because this was a Zoom Seder, friends and familyfrom Montreal,Toronto, New York, Singapore, Connecticut, Colorado, Maine, and Los Angeles could and did contribute and appreciate vivid stories about our colorful uncle.

I believe this opportunity, and the Jewish law to observe the holidays, were liberating elements, setting the stage for reliving the Passover exodus, the journey toward freedom. And despite distancing and social isolation, no one had to make this journey alone.

Homemade Matzah at Passover

Collingwood, Ontario

Seder Box: Robby Stern

Toronto, Ontario

During the covid crisis and could not get together with family, I made a seder box for each one of my children. Each box contained everything one would need for the seder service, dinner, wine and dessert. We then zoomed to be virtually together. Motto this year, "Next year under one roof!"

Dina Solsberg

Toronto, Ontario

The first 2 photos were taken outside of Beth Emeth from the parking lot on March 22, 2020. The third was taken at Irv Chapley Park (before the city-wide closure of public parks) on March 24, 2020. The fourth image was shot from the door of Beth Emeth on April 20, 2020. The last photo was taken at our family seder on April 9, 2020.

Ilana Newman

Toronto, Ontario

Perlmutar-Oretsky Seder

Toronto Ontario, London England, & Israel

Passover Seder 2020, Night 1, on Zoom. I think the last time the 14 of us were together, because four of the younger generation lived overseas in three different countries, was January 2013, in Israel for Rachel Perlmutar’s Bat Mitzvah.

A Different Seder : Rosemarie Skoll and Les Grumach

Ottawa, Ontario

This year we had a somewhat different seder with two people rather than the usual eight plus. We modified some of the items on the seder plate. Instead of horseradish we scrounged some chives from the garden. To stand in for the burnt egg, there was a burnt egg shell (symbol of a symbol) as the eggs were needed for cooking and the next shopping trip would only be in a few days. However, in typical Jewish style, for two people there were three haggadahs. Heaven forbid we should both be on the same page at the same time. My husband was in his element, without the usual chorus of people telling him to skip ahead. So what if the soft and fluffy kneidlach had been warming for so long they were disintegrating into the soup. After accompanying the full version of every song on a Spotify playlist, we finally started our meal. For a hit-and-miss cook, everything turned out a hit, which made us even more sad to have no guests to share the evening Still, plenty of leftovers to see us through the week. Despite the somewhat melancholy undertone to this year's seder, we were grateful for all that we have, including the freedom to be celebrating in Canada.